Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping the mouth and teeth clean to prevent dental problems, most commonly, dental cavities, gingivitis, periodontal (gum) diseases and bad breath. Teeth cleaning is the removal of dental plaque and tartar from teeth to prevent cavities, gingivitis, gum disease, and tooth decay. Severe gum disease causes at least one-third (⅓) of adult tooth loss. Tooth decay is the most common global disease. Over eighty percent (80%) of cavities occur inside fissures in teeth where brushing cannot reach food left trapped after every meal or snack and saliva or fluoride have no access to neutralize acid and remineralize demineralized teeth, unlike easy-to-clean parts of the tooth, where fewer cavities occur.
Tooth brushing is the act of scrubbing teeth with a toothbrush equipped with toothpaste. Since only two-thirds (⅔) of the outer tooth can be reached by a toothbrush, interdental cleaning (with floss or an interdental brush) can usefully accompany tooth brushing. Together, these two (2) activities are the primary means of cleaning teeth, one (1) of the main aspects of oral hygiene. Brushing teeth properly helps prevent cavities, and periodontal, or gum disease, which causes at least one-third of adult tooth loss. If teeth are not brushed correctly and frequently, it could lead to the calcification of saliva minerals, forming tartar. Tartar hardens if not removed every twenty-four hours (24 h). Poor dental health has been associated with heart disease and shortened life expectancy.
Various attempts have been made to solve problems found in dental hygiene product art. Among these are found in: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,231,925; 1,225,955; 1,840,484; 2,103,083; and 2,165,420. These prior art references are representative of dental hygiene product systems.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed. Thus, a need exists for a reliable teeth cleaning implement, and to avoid the above-mentioned problems.